Need You
by secamimom
Summary: Loving someone is easy. Making that love work when you're never together is the hard part. When love isn't enough to make Bella and Edward's relationship work, they go their separate ways. After months apart, will it be too late for them or will the time apart be just what they need to realize: Love is all you need.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own these characters. **

I took another sip of the wine I had just filled my glass with and relaxed against the couch. About an hour ago I'd pulled out some old photographs and was still thumbing through the pictures and recalling every memory, every detail of the time we spent together; memories of our life together flashing before my eyes. There were pictures of beach trips, weekend picnics and family gatherings. We were so happy in these pictures, both of us smiling at the camera or laughing with our friends. _Where did it all go wrong?_

I picked up my cell phone, as I had many times over the past few months, and found his name in the contacts. I thought of deleting it many times but the 10 digit number was burned to my memory. Looking at his name on the phone for a few moments longer, I finally decided to make the call I couldn't bring myself to do in the past eight months.

Hitting send before I could change my mind, I put the phone to my ear, listening to each ring with baited breath, waiting for him to pick up. When his voice mail greeting came on, I reached over, grabbing my glass of wine and gulped it down, trying to calm my nerves. _It's now or never._

"Hi. It's like..." I trailed off, looking at the clock on the wall and cringed, "really early or really late depending on how you wanna look at it. I'm sitting here all alone on the living room floor looking at pictures of us. I know I said I wouldn't call, but I can't take it any longer. I don't think I can do this without you anymore. Edward, I need you."

I disconnected the call and wondered if I had just done the best thing or the worst thing possible.

**A/N: So, I realize that it has been quite a while. To let you know, this story is completely written. I'm just sending it to my beta and having her edit it, so there shouldn't be a long wait between updates. This is a short prologue, but if you've read any of my previous stories you know that I tend to write shorter chapters. **

**Also, I've started working on my other story, Gravitational Pull, again so look for an update for it soon. I am hoping the response I get from posting this will help encourage my writing mojo. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. **

**BPOV**

I finished up the food on my plate and walked

to the kitchen, placing the plate in the sink. Reaching in the cabinet, I grabbed a few plastic containers and put the leftovers in them. Once they were all put in the refrigerator, I grabbed Edward's cold plate from the table and wrapped it up, placing it in the microwave.

He promised he would be home in time to eat with me, but as usual he didn't make it. It seemed that lately all he could do was break his promises. I rarely saw him anymore. If I did, it was only in passing. A quick kiss goodbye in the morning before I left for work and a quick kiss hello when he finally got home. I knew that his job at the hospital was hectic, but he didn't even try to make time for me anymore.

In the beginning, we rarely spent any time apart, almost to the point that if you saw him, you saw me. It was as if he couldn't breathe if he wasn't around me. Now, it seemed like he couldn't breathe if he was around me. We weren't arguing or anything. We rarely argued. Hell, we didn't see enough of each other lately to even argue about anything.

I missed him so much. I missed the passionate Edward. The one that could barely make it through the front door of our apartment without attacking me.

_I finished putting our food on the table and walked into the living room to turn down the music I had on while cooking. Edward should be home any minute and I was excited to see him. We had finally taken the next step of living together and it had been a couple of days since we had a chance to have dinner and just be alone in our new place._

_I walked by the front door just about the time it swung open. I turned toward the open door and smiled widely at him. He was dressed in his dark blue hospital scrubs, his hair in complete disarray. He slammed the door behind him and dropped his messenger bag and anything else that was in his arms to the floor and stalked toward me._

_Once he stood in front of me, he wasted no time before taking me in his arms and kissing me passionately. He spun me around and slammed my body into the wall, knocking a photograph we had hanging, off the wall. He broke away from my mouth, but continued nipping and sucking on my neck. _

_"Sorry about that, but God, it's been too fucking long," he groaned as he lifted my body and thrust against me. I wrapped my legs around his waist and gripped his hair tightly in my hands as he placed wet kisses along my chest._

_"Fuck, Edward," I moaned as he pushed my dress up around my waist and grabbed my ass harshly. He thrust against me continuously as he bit at my neck and kneaded my ass roughly._

_"I want you, Bella," he whispered in my ear before biting it gently. I moaned loudly and pulled his head back to look me in the eyes._

_"Take me then, Edward. Take me," I said, never breaking eye contact with him._

_"You really shouldn't have said that," he growled. Never placing me down, he pulled his scrub pants down to his knees. He didn't bother to remove my panties, only pushed them aside before entering me fully._

_"Fucking hell," he groaned as he thrust in and out of me. I locked my ankles tight around him and wrapped my arms around his shoulders. "I missed this so fucking much. You feel so goddamn good."_

_"Mmmmmm," I moaned, not being able to come up with a coherent thought as Edward fucked me hard. I could feel myself getting closer and could tell Edward was as his thrusting became erratic._

_"You gonna come for me?" he whispered in my ear. "I'm so fucking close. You feel so fucking good around my cock, baby." At his words I felt myself let go, my body clenching tightly around his. Pumping quickly into me a few more times, he pushed deeply into me one last time, holding himself there as he released. _

_As our breathing finally slowed, he lowered me to the floor. I fixed my clothing as best I could while he pulled his pants back up and smirked at me. He leaned over and kissed me slowly this time, but with no less passion than before._

_"Sorry about attacking you, but I couldn't help it," he said, smiling._

_"Never, ever apologize for that," I told him. "Although, I do apologize because now, our food is probably cold." He laughed as we walked together to the kitchen._

_"And that, Bella, is why they invented the microwave."_

Letting go of the memory, I walked through the house, cutting off all the lights and making sure everything was switched off. I took a quick shower and put my pajamas on, hoping that once I had completed my nightly routine that Edward would be home.

After dragging around for another hour, I lost hope. I pulled back the comforter on the bed and laid down after cutting off the small lamp on the bedside table. Turning to look at his empty side of the bed, I sighed and closed my eyes.

Another night falling asleep alone. Another night without Edward.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own these characters. **

**EPOV**

I groaned and ran my hands through my hair roughly. It had been a tough night here at the hospital so far. There was a multiple car wreck that brought in several injured people that needed surgery. Right now was the first chance I had all night to take a breather.

I sat down in the hard plastic chair in the break room and took a sip of coffee before placing my mug down in front of me. I knew I had to finish up my charts before I could head out for the night, so I got as comfortable as I could and started the process.

After about an hour, I finished up with the last chart and took them to the desk for the next doctor on shift. I walked back into the break room and grabbed my things, glancing at the clock one last time. I slammed the locker shut harshly when I realized I was over three hours late to have dinner with Bella. She was going to be pissed yet again and once again there was nothing I could do about it now.

"Rough night, doctor?" a voice called out to me from the other side of the room. I turned around and came face to face with Jessica, a nurse who had been trying to get in my pants since I had met her the day she started work here.

"Yeah. I was supposed to have dinner with my girlfriend and I am extremely late," I said quickly, not trying to be rude just trying to get the hell out of the hospital before I had to be right back. Before I could make it to the door, Jessica stuck her hand out and ran it down my chest slowly.

"You know, you could always stick around here. I'm sure we could find something to keep you busy," she said, trying to sound seductive, but only making me cringe.

"I don't think so. Like I said, I have to go see my _girlfriend_," I told her before walking out the door of the break room and leaving her standing all alone. I really didn't understand Jessica. I had done nothing but turn her down since she started hitting on me yet she continues to force me to shoot her down time and time again.

Besides, not a single girl in this entire city could hold a candle to Bella. Since I had met her that night in the bar, she was the only person I had eyes for.

_"Emmett, really? Your surprise is a bar? You guys bring me out on my birthday to surprise me with a trip to a bar I have been to probably a thousand times?" I asked my best friend as we sat down at the table. Emmett, Jasper and I had been friends since high school. Even though we all separated and went to different colleges, we were lucky enough to be able to settle down in the same city once we graduated. _

_"Just shut the fuck up and trust us," Emmett said, slapping me harshly on the back before taking a seat himself. Jasper, Emmett and I talked about how our work week went and what we planned to do with our weekend, while we waited for Rose and Alice to arrive. I sometimes hated being the fifth wheel amongst two happy couples, but they wanted to celebrate my birthday with me and I couldn't say no to them. _

_After a few minutes I noticed Jasper and Emmett's attention drawn to the door, so I figured their girls had arrived. I turned around and spotted Rose and Alice out of the corner of my eyes, but my sight was drawn to the woman who entered behind them. _

_This woman had the most beautiful, deep brown eyes I had ever seen. Her dark brown hair fell in waves along her shoulders as she pulled off her coat. She was listening to something Rose was saying and nibbling on her lip as she nodded. Looking away from Rose, she finally caught sight of me and a small smile graced her face as she waved shyly at me._

_"Happy Birthday," I heard Emmett say as he clapped me on the shoulder and walked over to greet his girl. _

Bella and I have been inseparable since that night. Well, we were at least until I started my residency. Now, we are good if we have five minutes together a week. It frustrates me sometimes to know that we live together, but we really don't _live _together. I couldn't tell you the last time Bella and I went out and did something together. We used to go out all the time with Emmett, Rose, Jasper and Alice, but now we play phone tag with each other and only see each other on holidays and special occasions.

I unlocked the door to our apartment and walked into the darkness. I should have figured that after three hours Bella had definitely not waited up for me. I walked into the kitchen and opened up the microwave and like usual, found my meal wrapped and saved for me.

After spending a few minutes eating, I walked into the bedroom and found Bella lying on her side of the bed, clutching my pillow. I cut on the small lamp on my side of the bed and bent down to kiss her gently. As I got closer to her face I noticed the dry tear tracks running down her cheeks and sighed. I also couldn't tell you how many times recently I had come home to find that Bella had cried herself to sleep.

I cupped her face gently with my hand and bent down, placing a small kiss on her forehead, then one on each cheek and then finally, her lips. She sighed, but made no move to wake up.

"I love you baby and I'm sorry," I whispered to her before heading to the other room to take a shower and then fall into a not so sweet slumber.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I don't own these characters.**

**A/N: I can't thank you guys enough for reading and reviewing. I've been so excited about posting that I've completely forgotten about thanking my beta and bestest friend, MsJily. Thank you so much for encouraging me! **

**BPOV**

I rolled over and felt my body tense up as I almost fell off the couch. I groaned, realizing that I'd spent the entire night on the uncomfortable piece of furniture...again. This was the second time this had happened in a week. After the first time it happened, Edward had promised to be home before I went to bed, so like a fool, I decided to wait up for him. The last time I remembered looking at the clock it had been somewhere around midnight and he still hadn't shown up.

I slowly sat up, rubbing my eyes to wake myself up. Leaning forward, I placed my elbows on my knees and my head in my hands. I was still so tired and pissed off. When I felt the couch dip down beside me, I jumped and fought the urge to scream. I had no idea he was even in the room.

"You scared the shit out of me!," I said, without even looking up at him. He ran his hand up and down my back slowly as he spoke.

"Sorry, baby. Did you stay on the couch all night or did you just wake up earlier and fall back asleep?" I ignored his question and stood up, walking to the bathroom. It might have been bitchy of me to walk away from him, but I spent the night on the couch waiting for him and he hadn't even bothered to call and let me know he'd be late.

I really should have been used to it by now, but it didn't mean that it didn't tick me off. Since Edward had started his residency, I could count the number of times he'd been home when he said he would on one hand. I knew what I was getting into when we began this relationship, but I was not happy with his complete disregard and disrespect of my feelings. How hard was it to pick up a phone and either text me or call me to let me know he wouldn't be home on time?

After using the bathroom and brushing my teeth, I opened the door to find Edward standing a few feet away. I pushed past him, walking into our bedroom to get dressed. I heard him walk in behind me and knew that he probably wouldn't let this go no matter how bad I didn't feel like getting into it this morning.

"Bella," I heard him say from somewhere behind me. I ignored him and continued searching through our closet for something to wear today. When I found something, I stepped back and turned around, almost running into him. I moved around him, only for him to grab my wrist to keep me from walking away.

"Bella," he said a little louder, looking at me with his eyebrows raised. I snatched my arm away from him and started to walk away again. He grabbed me around the waist and spun me around to face him, knocking the clothes I had in my hands to the floor.

"What?" I snapped. He exhaled and looked at me sadly.

"I'm sorry. I know I should have called and let you know that I wouldn't be home, but I got caught up at work. There was another major pile up and I couldn't get away even for a minute," he said, trying to get me to understand. I did understand, but I wasn't thinking rationally at this point. I was thinking like a pissed off girlfriend who had very little sleep the night before.

"Whatever. I don't care," I replied as I tried to step away from him, but his grip on my hips tightened. I closed my eyes and sighed, knowing he wasn't going to let this go.

"Yes you do. You care that I screwed up and didn't make it home again last night. I'm sorry. I fucked up," he said, quietly. I opened my eyes, staring straight into his.

"Yes, you did," I told him. He smiled a little and bent his head down, placing soft kisses along the column of my neck. I tilted my head slightly and didn't fight the moan that left my mouth. I might still be pissed off, but that didn't mean I would stop him. It had been a while since we'd been together and the man definitely knew how to push my buttons.

"What can I do to make it up to you?" he asked, as he continued to kiss along my neck. His hands had left their place on my hips and began to lift the long t-shirt that I wore. When he had lifted it up to my chest, he pulled away and I lifted my arms so he could remove it.

Tossing the shirt behind him, he pulled my body tightly to his. He ran one hand along the swell of my ass before gripping it harshly, causing another loud moan to escape me. He knew what he was doing. By the time he's finished with me, I had a feeling I wouldn't even remember why I was mad in the first place.

"How can I make it up to you? How can I make it right?" He asked before bending his head down to take one of my nipples into his mouth. He sucked deeply, only releasing to nibble at the other one.

"This...this is good," I managed to say, as he slowly pushed my body back toward the bed. Once I felt the back of my knees hit the edge of the mattress, I let my body ease down. He hovered over me for a second, letting his eyes roam across my naked body. When he saw the small piece of material covering my lower body he shook his head slightly.

"Now this won't do. We need to get rid of these," he said, grasping the sides of my panties and pulling them off my body. I looked down at him between my thighs, his eyes dark with hunger.

Kneeling on the floor, he placed one of my feet on each shoulder. Slowly, he placed open mouthed, wet kisses along each of my inner thighs until he reached where I needed his mouth most. Using his thumbs, he spread me open and flicked my clit lightly with his tongue. I jumped slightly at the sensation and his grip on my thighs tightened.

"If you want me to keep going, you need to stay still," he said assertively. I moaned in response and he smirked before lowering his mouth back down to my wet heat.

Sucking my clit into his mouth, he pushed two fingers quickly inside me. I fought the urge to come from that feeling alone. He continued to push and pull his fingers from my body as he alternated sucking, licking and biting.

I fought it, forcing my mind to think of other things. Anything other than what he was doing to my body right now. I felt the vibrating sensation as Edward growled against me, becoming frustrated with my holding back. He pulled his mouth away from my body, but his fingers continued pushing and twisting, hitting the exact spot he meant for them to.

"Stop fighting it. You know it feels good. Why do you always fight it?" he asked as he turned his head and bit my inner thigh.

"It feels too good. I don't want it to end," I moaned as he turned his head back towards my heat and let his tongue flick my clit again.

"I know it feels good. Just let go, baby. Come for me now and I promise I won't stop until you're ready for me to," he said before he returned his mouth to my body with a new found determination. It only took a few seconds before I finally relented, my body releasing and my voice screaming out his name.

Before I could even think about anything else, Edward slid our bodies up toward the head of the bed and thrust into me fully. He gripped the headboard tightly in one hand while the other had a firm grip on my hip.

"Fuck," he moaned as he thrust wildly into me, each time hitting a spot deep inside me that caused my whole body to tingle. I ran my hands up and down his back, my nails probably leaving marks that neither of us would care about.

"Fuuuuuuck, baby, you feel so fucking good. So goddamn good..." he groaned, his thrusts becoming a little quicker as his body neared release. Knowing he wouldn't give in until I'd come again, I ran a hand down his chest. His eyes followed my fingers until they came into contact with my clit. He closed his eyes and growled deeply. I knew Edward loved to watch me touch myself, so this would benefit the both of us.

"That's right. Touch yourself for me. Make yourself come," he said as he kept on thrusting, his eyes never leaving my fingers. I could feel my body racing toward the feeling, my body gripping his dick tightly. Edward could feel it too, his thrusts going deeper, his grunts and moans becoming louder.

"You're almost there, aren't you? Feel good?" He asked me. I could only moan in response. His hand gripped the headboard even tighter, the force of his thrusting pushing my body up the bed. While the one hand remained locked on the headboard, the other pushed mine out of the way. His long, thin fingers began rubbing over and over, quickly along my clit, my body clenching even tighter around his.

"That's it. Come on. Fuck, yeah. I can feel you," he said before my body finally gave in, releasing the pressure that had built up inside me. He thrust a few more times, holding himself deep inside me as he released. His eyes were shut tightly, the muscles of his arm flexed from the grip he still held on the head board.

Breathing heavily, he pulled himself from my body and fell over to the side. His face glistened with a shiny layer of sweat as his chest rose and fell quickly. I rolled over toward him, throwing one leg over his and laying my head on his shoulder. He turned his face toward mine and kissed my forehead sweetly.

"I love you and I am sorry for last night," he said. I knew he was. He always was.

"It's okay. All forgotten now." I kissed his chest and ran my hand along his hardened muscles as he did the same up and down my back.

"Oh, I almost forgot. Alice invited us all to go out Friday night," I told him, knowing it had been a while since we'd all been out together and knowing that he was scheduled for the day shift that day.

"Sounds good to me." Quickly, he rolled us over, pinning my body down with his, a lustful look back in his eyes.

"What are you doing?" I asked him playfully. He smirked and shrugged.

"I said I wasn't stopping until you were ready for me to. Are you ready for me to stop?" he questioned me. I smiled widely at him.

"Oh no. I'm nowhere near ready for you to stop. You've got a lot of apologizing to do."


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I don't own these characters.**

**Thanks so much for reading and reviewing! And thanks to MsJily who encourages me and helps me with numerous mistakes, LOL.**

**BPOV**

I looked in the mirror as I finished up my makeup. I was excited to go out tonight with everyone. I couldn't remember the last time we had all gathered together, but I knew it had been quite some time. We used to hang out together all the time, but it slowly tapered off as Edward got busier and busier with the hospital.

I kept glancing at the clock on the bedside table as I put away my makeup. He should be here any minute now. He told me all week that he would be home on time. He was looking forward to hanging out with everyone just as much as I was.

I grabbed the small clutch I planned on using tonight from the closet and made my way into the living room just as the phone began to ring. Please don't let it be him.

"Hello?" I said, praying that it wasn't him calling to cancel. He had done this before and I was just hoping that tonight would not be one of those times.

"Hey," he said, sounding very tired.

"Don't do this. Please," I said quietly, tears already filling my eyes. I should have known this was coming.

"Don't do what, baby?"

"Please don't be calling to cancel. We've been looking forward to this all week," I said, my voice cracking a bit.

"No, no. I'm not cancelling. I just wanted to let you know to go ahead and that I might be just a few minutes late. I have a few things to finish here and then I'm heading out," he said, trying to soothe me. I'd heard this excuse before, but I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. Surely he knew how much this meant to me.

"Promise me, Edward. Promise me that you'll be there."

"I promise, baby. I'll be there. Now let me go so I can finish this shit up, okay?"

"Okay. Love you."

"Love you, too," he said, before hanging up.

I took one last look in the full length mirror before walking out the door. I chose what I was wearing because I knew it would drive Edward crazy. He loved this dress and I couldn't help but try and use that knowledge to my advantage. It drove him practically insane every time I wore it.

_"Now, I take it you're already dressed to go? What did you decide to wear? Is it that short blue dress that I love so much? The one that leaves your whole back exposed? You know I love that dress, right?" he whispered, his voice husky sounding. He was on his way home from work and we were going to be meeting everyone at a bar downtown._

_"Of course I know you love that dress. That's why I'm wearing it right now," I said, smiling as I ran my hand down the front of the dress. When I made Edward go shopping with me recently he was a little ticked off. That was until I came out of the dressing room in this dress. He had pushed me back into the fitting room and helped me remove said dress, along with everything else I was wearing. That was definitely a good day. _

_"Damn. I bet you're wearing those fucking heels that make your legs look a mile long too, aren't you?"_

_"What other shoes do I have that match this dress?" I asked him. _

_"Goddammit. You're fucking killing me," he said, his breathing sounding heavy. _

_Suddenly, the door to the apartment swung open and he was standing there. His chest rose and fell quickly as he breathed in and out. His eyes were dark as he eyed my body from head to toe. _

_Dropping his messenger bag to the floor and slamming the door shut behind him, he stalked his way over to me. His tongue left his mouth quickly, moistening his lips as his eyes continued to roam my body. I pulled my bottom lip into my mouth and gently bit down on it with my teeth just the way I knew he liked it. _

_With a loud growl, Edward grabbed me by the waist, hoisting my body against his. I wrapped my legs around him as he carried us to the bedroom where we stayed all night, plans with friends long forgotten. _

Now that I thought about it, perhaps it was best that he was meeting us at the bar. I really did want to hang out with everyone. We could save the animalistic sex for later tonight.

After a short cab ride, I made my way inside the bar and spotted our friends immediately. They already had their drinks in front of them and were carrying on what looked to be a rather heated conversation.

"Hey, Bella!" Emmett said as he waved to the waitress to bring over another drink for me.

"Hey guys," I said, taking a seat across from Alice.

"Where's Edward?" Alice asked before taking a sip of her drink. The waitress brought my drink over and sat it in front of me. I took a quick drink before answering her. I had to deal with this question a bit lately. I was the fifth wheel quite a lot in our group of friends.

"He had to finish a few things up at work and said he'd meet us here," I answered. I looked to Rose and saw her roll her eyes. She'd always voiced her opinions about Edward's absence and it didn't look like tonight would be any different.

"Yeah, right," she mumbled as she toyed with the ice floating in her drink. I really wasn't in the mood to deal with her opinion tonight and was hoping she would act like a friend for once.

"Please don't start tonight, Rose. He said he'd be here and he will be," Jasper said. I smiled at him in thanks. I knew that they all missed him. He hadn't had much of a chance to hang out with the guys lately either.

After a few minutes of awkward silence the waitress brought over another round of drinks and an appetizer that they had evidently ordered before I'd arrived. Thankful for the reprieve from questioning, I found myself watching the two couples in front of me.

Emmett and Rose were complete opposites, but perfect for each other. Where Emmett was broad shouldered and dark haired, Rose was thin and blonde. Emmett was sweet and goofy while Rose was bitchy and serious. If anyone could handle Rose's no holds barred attitude, it was Emmett. To anyone else, it would seem like the two of them would have nothing in common, but actually the two of them were made for each other.

Alice and Jasper were what every couple strived to be. It was like they could tell what each other needed before they even voiced it. Jasper counteracted Alice's hyper activeness with his cool and calm demeanor. If she became upset over something, Jasper was the only one who could calm her down.

After about an hour and a half, several rounds of drinks and appetizers were finished, the guys decided to pull their girls out on the dance floor. Edward still hadn't arrived yet and I was losing all hope.

"Are you sure you don't want me to sit here with you?" Alice asked, holding on to Jasper's hand. He had begun to lead her to dance when she turned and saw me sitting all alone.

"No, go ahead. Dance. Have fun," I said, waving them off. She nodded her head sadly and made her way to the middle of the floor.

Usually, Edward and I were the last to go to the dance floor. He liked to watch the other couples in the room. As I sat at the table alone, I remembered the last time we had gone out with everyone together.

_"You sure you're not ready to dance?" He asked me as his hand ran up and down the exposed skin of my thigh. He'd been teasing me all night with the casual touch of his fingers against my skin. _

_"Nope. Not ready yet," I told him. His fingers continued their exploration of my body as we watched the dancers. He leaned over and whispered in my ear, the heat of his breath sending tingles down my body. _

_"You like watching too, don't you? Do you imagine it's me and you out there? Do you imagine me standing behind you, pulling your body close to mine so you can feel just how hard you make me?"_

_I moaned and turned my face toward his, his mouth catching mine in a searing kiss. I let one of my hands fall to his lap and gently grip his growing erection. Tempted to straddle him and take him right here in the middle of the club, I pulled myself away from him before getting us both kicked out. _

_"So, tell me. Do you wanna dance or do you wanna get out of here and do something else?" He asked me. I looked toward the dance floor then back to his eyes. _

_"Take me home."_

I looked back to the dance floor and when I saw that both couples were completely wrapped up in each other, I pulled my cell phone out and made a quick call. I pulled some money out of my purse and left it on the table, not wanting to leave my friends to pay for my drinks.

I quickly got in the cab that had pulled up outside and made my way home, alone. I couldn't believe that he had done it again. I don't know why it surprised me anymore. I had gotten used to him breaking promises. I had really gotten my hopes up this time too and regretted it now.

I slowly made my way into our apartment, expecting to see him inside, but he wasn't. Probably another late night at the hospital. I wondered if he even remembered he was supposed to be somewhere. I wasn't sure how many more chances I was going to give him. He'd broken my heart too many times lately.

Not even bothering to remove my dress, I slipped off my shoes, laid down on the bed and cried myself to sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I don't own these characters.**

**Thanks again for reading and reviewing. Glad you guys are enjoying this!**

**EPOV**

I sat down at the table in the break room and placed the stack of files down. I probably should've started filling these out as the patients were released, but I had a habit of letting them pile up. I needed to get these done so that I could get out of here. I'd promised Bella that I would go out with them tonight and I wasn't going to break that promise. I had done too much of that lately and needed to make it up to her.

I looked at the clock and realized that I wouldn't get out of here exactly when I wanted to, but it wouldn't be too late. For the first time in weeks, I might actually get out of here before pulling a double shift. I pulled my cell phone out of my coat and called Bella to let her know.

"Hello?" she answered quietly.

"Hey," I responded, finally feeling the effects of being on my feet for 12 hours already. I was tired and ready to go to bed, but wouldn't be able to for probably another 3 or 4 hours.

"Don't do this. Please," she whispered. My brow wrinkled wondering what she could be talking about.

"Don't do what, baby?" I had no idea what she was talking about.

"Please don't be calling to cancel. We've been looking forward to this all week," she said, her voice breaking. Of course she thought I was cancelling since I was calling so close to the time we were supposed to leave. I had a bad habit of cancelling at the last minute. I hadn't been looking forward to this as much as Bella had. I just wanted to go home, relax on the couch or bed with my girl and just be. But I would do this for Bella because she really wanted to.

"No, no. I'm not cancelling. I just wanted to let you know to go ahead and that I might be just a few minutes late. I have a few things to finish here and then I'm heading out," I told her. And it was the truth. As soon as I finished these forms, I was heading out.

"Promise me, Edward. Promise me you'll be there," she said strongly.

"I promise, baby. I'll be there. Now let me go so I can finish this shit up, okay?"

"Okay. Love you," she said, accepting my promise. She could've been a lot more demanding, but she trusted me and I would do everything I could to keep it that way.

"Love you, too," I replied before hanging up. Slipping the phone back in my pocket, I began working on the files again, determined to finish them quickly.

Standing up and gathering the files in my arms, I was finally ready to leave for the night. Suddenly the door to the break room swung open and a nurse popped her head inside.

"Dr. Cullen, there was a major pile up on the Eisenhower. Multiple injuries coming in with an ETA of five minutes. There was also an incident downtown and several GSW's headed our way as well. Dr. Denali requested that you stick around for a bit after your shift to help out," she said before turning and leaving the room as quickly as she came. I quickly sat the files back down and rushed back to the ER.

Three hours later, I was finally coming down from my high. I felt so powerful tonight, saving people who otherwise might not have had a chance. Even after Dr. Denali told me I could leave, I stayed. I was thrilled to do my job tonight. I actually felt like I was saving people, which is the reason I became a doctor in the first place. This was real emergency room work, not broken bones and kids with earaches.

Smiling widely, I unlocked the door to our apartment and rushed inside. I knew Bella was probably sleeping, but I couldn't help the urge to want to wake her and share my thrilling night. I had become so depressed lately with my job and couldn't wait to share with her my returned enthusiasm.

I slipped off my shoes before tossing my keys and lab coat onto the couch. I walked quickly to our bedroom where I knew Bella would be. Pushing the door open gently, I spotted her. She was lying on her side facing the door, the covers pushed down around her feet.

"Fuck," I whispered harshly, my happier mood immediately replaced with anger at myself. She was still dressed in the dark blue dress that I loved so much, her black heels laying on floor beside the bed.

In all the excitement dealing with tonight's patients, I had completely forgot about our plans tonight. I had broken yet another promise to her. How the fuck would I make this up to her?

I quickly took a shower before grabbing a blanket and pillow and making my way to couch. If I knew Bella very well at all, I knew that if she were awake, that would be exactly where I would be sleeping.

I made myself comfortable and let my mind wander. How would I make this up to her? Would she even give me a chance? How pissed was she? Would she let me explain?

Letting the questions run through my mind continuously, I finally let my body relax and slipped into a very restless sleep.

**O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O**

I placed the envelope on my cold and empty pillow and covered her bare legs back up. She had rolled over and was now lying in the middle of the bed, her already short dress hiked up high around her thighs. I fought the urge to run my hand along her smooth skin and touch her where I wanted to most.

I gently placed my knee on my side of the bed and leaned over her body. I kissed her forehead softly and brushed her hair from her face. She looked so peaceful while she was sleeping. I knew she would pissed again when she woke up, so I made sure not to wake her up and ruin her mood just yet.

"I love you," I whispered before standing back up and quietly leaving the apartment. I had done what I could. I made my move and the ball was in her court. I only prayed that it worked in my favor and she gave me a second chance.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I don't own these characters.**

**A/N: Sorry about the wait for this one. Life got busy :) I know this is a shorter chapter, but good news. Edward's POV of this one will be up in a few days...hopefully Monday. **

**BPOV**

"I really can't believe I fell for this shit again," I mumbled to myself as I finished up yet another glass of wine. I had no idea how many glasses I had gotten out of the bottle, but it was now empty. While I hadn't forgotten everything, my body was feeling pretty damn good.

When I woke up this morning I found a note from Edward on his pillow. It proved that he had come home that night, but he was long gone by the time I woke up. In the note, he begged for forgiveness. He apologized several times for standing me up last night and pleaded with me to give him a chance to make it up to me.

He asked me in the note to meet him at the restaurant where we had our first date. Stupidly, I sent him a text earlier and let him know that I would meet him. I took my time, showering and shaving, fixing my hair and applying my makeup. It turned out that all my efforts were for nothing.

I had been sitting at this table all alone for hours, being stared at by every other couple that entered the doors. The waiter kept coming by to see if I was ready to give up the table, but stubbornly, I refused. I had accidentally left my phone at home so I had nothing to do but people watch. I nibbled on my appetizer and looked around the large dining room, narrowing my eyes at all the happy couples.

After another few minutes the waiter returned with a timid smile on his face. He was probably waiting for me to get up so he could give away my table to another couple in love.

"Miss, I've taken the liberty of calling you a cab. It's waiting out front for you now," he said. I rolled my eyes and grabbed my purse. Standing up, I wobbled a bit and grabbed the waiter's arm to stable myself.

"Thank you. Just let me settle the bill," I replied, fumbling through my purse for my wallet. He slowly began walking me toward the exit as I continued my search.

"No need, m'am. A credit card was given at the time of reservation and has already been charged," he said. I nodded my head as we stepped out into the cool night air. He opened the door of the cab for me and I turned to face him.

"Thank you for a lovely night," I said before getting into the cab and going home. The cool air and the cab ride home helped me to sober up a bit. It also gave me time to think. I knew what I had to do.

I walked into the apartment and of course he wasn't there, which did nothing but piss me off more. I grabbed a glass of water from the kitchen and sipped it while I walked around the living room.

I couldn't believe that he had stood me up again. How many times in the past few months had he disappointed me? How many more times was I going to let him do it? I supported him fully in his dreams. I knew it wasn't going to be easy with him vying for the chief resident position at the hospital, but I couldn't take it anymore. I couldn't be the only one who gave a damn about our relationship. I couldn't be the only one making sacrifices. My heart had been trampled on and broken too many times to count and I wasn't going to let it happen again. As much as I loved Edward, I couldn't live this life. I wanted more. I wanted marriage and kids…a family. I wanted all that with Edward, but could we ever truly be a family? Did I wanted to bring kids into this world with a dad who would never be around and miss important things? I knew what the hospital meant to him and what being Chief Resident meant as well. As much as I supported him, I needed time. I needed him to leave, I needed to reevaluate my life.

Tears streaming down my face, I walked into our bedroom and opened the closet. I grabbed as many clothes as I could and carried them into the living room. Sitting them on the couch, I walked back into our bedroom and grabbed the carry-on bag from our set of luggage. I opened drawers and threw in underwear and socks. I walked into the bathroom and threw in a toothbrush, body wash, deodorant and anything else I could find.

I walked back into the living room as I zipped up the bag. Hearing the apartment door open, I turned around to see him walk inside.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I don't own these characters. **

**A/N:** IMPORTANT PLEASE READ** I'm not sure where this idea is coming from, but just to let anyone who's wondering know, this is not a cheating fic...I repeat, THIS IS NOT A CHEATING FIC. I've had a couple people review and tear into Edward's ass because they say he's cheating. I don't think I've even hinted toward that.  
**

**Thank you so much to MsJily for helping me with this chapter. You are awesome! Thanks to all of you for continuing to read and review!**

**And just to make sure you all know, what's in italics is flashbacks. **

**EPOV**

I had been a nervous wreck all day. Leaving that note for Bella and not waiting to get an answer from her was the hardest thing I think I had ever had to do. I was constantly checking my phone all day for text messages or missed calls.

Finally, about an hour ago, I got a text message from Bella agreeing to meet me at the restaurant where we had our first date. I immediately called and confirmed the reservations that I had already made first thing that morning and continued on with my day.

When the end of my shift came I was a nervous ball of energy. I had no idea if she'd even forgive me, but I had to at least try. I walked into the break room and took my coat off, ready to hang it up in my locker.

"Edward, I'm going to need you to stay a few extra hours tonight," my attending, Tanya, said as she walked into the room. I shook my head back and forth and continued getting ready to leave for the night.

"No can do, Tanya. I've already got plans and I absolutely cannot break them," I told her quickly. I turned around to face her and saw she looked amused.

"It wasn't really a request. You either stay tonight or you can kiss any thought of making chief resident good bye. That's just how it is," she said before turning around and walking back out the door. I closed my eyes and let my head fall. She knew that was what I'd been working for through my entire career. Tanya knew I wouldn't leave.

"Son of a bitch," I yelled as I punched the metal locker in front of me. I would have to cancel on her again, but she would understand. Bella knew that I had been working for a shot at Chief Resident the entire time I was at this hospital. She'd understand. She had to.

I grabbed my coat from my locker and slipped it back on, pulling my cell phone out to call her. I tried to call her five times, every time it was sent immediately to voice mail. I was hoping to catch her before she left for the restaurant, but it looked like I hadn't. She was going to be so pissed at me.

Finally, hours later I unlocked the door to our apartment and walked inside. Bella was standing there, a carry-on bag in her hand and her eyes red and puffy. I shut the door behind me and walked closer to her. She hadn't moved from the spot she was in, but had let the bag fall to the floor. I peaked around her and noticed a large pile of clothes sitting on the couch.

"What are you doing, baby?" I asked her as I stopped to stand in front of her. She took a deep breath and rolled her eyes.

"What does it look like I'm doing? This is your shit and I want you out! I can't take this anymore, Edward! Tonight was the last time," she yelled. She walked over to the couch and began throwing clothes at me. I tried to catch a few, but ended up just trying to dodge the pointed ends of the hangers.

"Wait, wait! Bella! Stop!" I yelled at her, grabbing her arms. She had tears streaming down her face, but she was so fucking angry.

"I'm sorry! I couldn't leave tonight. If I would have left I would have ruined my chances at making Chief Resident. You know that's all I've been working toward," I told her, letting go of her arms as she calmed down.

"Oh, of course. God forbid Edward Cullen actually put his girlfriend before his job. What's another promise broken? Nothing at all. I was just left to sit all alone at the restaurant for hours waiting for you!" she yelled.

"I tried to call you! Your phone went straight to voice mail!" I was pacing back and forth now, my hands gripping my hair tightly. I should have known she'd be near her breaking point. I had disappointed her so many times lately and this looked to be the last straw.

"That's not the point, Edward," she said sadly. "You shouldn't have been trying to call. You should have been there tonight, like you said you'd be in the letter this morning." She paused and looked away. I could tell she was trying to regain her composure that she was slowly losing. "You should have been there," she whispered so softly, defeat evident in her voice. The look in her eyes changed and I knew deep down that this was the final straw. My heart started to race as I walked slowly toward her.

"I know and I'm so sorry. I'll make it up to you. I promise," I told her, trying to reach her. She stood up straight and turned to me, the look in her eyes hurt and I honestly didn't think she'd even heard me because she just continued talking.

"Once...just once, I wish you would put me first. I don't think I've ever come first in your mind. Anytime anyone else needs anything, you jump to it. But me, I've never come first for you. Tanya needs you to stay, you stay. You're walking out the hospital door and an emergency is called in, you turn right back around to go and help. You're not the only damn doctor and I know I sound like a mean, unsupportive bitch right now, but damn it Edward, what about me? What about just once letting the doctors who relieve you do the work?" I had no idea where she was getting this nonsense from, but I had to stop it.

"No. No. That's crazy, sweetheart. Of course you come first for me. Look, we'll go away for the weekend together. I'll cut my cell off so we'll have no interruptions," I told her as she shook her head sadly.

"No, Edward. Once weekend isn't going to help the months of let downs. I can't do this anymore," she said, handing me the carry-on bag she dropped on the floor earlier. Her entire body was shaking as she continued to cry.

"I need you to leave. This is it. It's over. We tried, but I can't anymore. Please, don't call me. Don't text me, just leave. Let's not make this any harder than it has to be. I won't call you either, I promise. We can have a clean break," she said, her eyes serious, the look was like a knife to the gut. I couldn't even comprehend a sentence, I just stared at her, too dumbfounded to think. "All your clothes are out here. Please pack them and go," she said quietly before walking into our…her bedroom, and shutting the door.

I slowly lowered myself to the couch as I continued to stare at the door she'd just walked through. What the hell was that? What just happened? Had I really just lost her for good? I looked at the chaos surrounding me, my clothes thrown haphazardly around. It looked like a tornado had been through the living room. I choked out a half laugh, half sob as I realized that's exactly what I had done to both my life and hers…I had caused nothing but pure and utter destruction.

Where had it all gone wrong? When did everything become so damned complicated? We were happy…weren't we? As I stared out the balcony window at the rain now falling, I remembered. We were definitely happy…_were _being the key word.

_"__Sob-inducing chick flick or action-packed guy movie?" I asked Bella as she walked into the living room with a huge bowl of popcorn. I had the day off from the hospital and it was pouring down rain outside. We'd decided to have a nice, quiet day inside. Once the race for Chief Resident began I wasn't sure how many of these days we would have. I was definitely taking advantage of the down time._

_"__Hmmm….," she said as her eyes flicked between the two DVDs I was holding up in front of me. "Action packed, definitely action packed." I smiled at her as I tossed the chick flick to the side. _

_"__I knew I loved you for a reason," I said as I placed the DVD in the player before making myself comfortable on the couch beside her. I put my arm around her as she nuzzled closely to my chest. Raising her head, she placed several kissed up the column of my neck. _

_"__Alright now. Anymore of that and I can guarantee there won't be any movie watching going on," I joked with her. She giggled and hugged me tightly before settling back down to watch the movie. After a few quite moments I heard her speak softly. _

_"__I love you, Edward," she whispered. I turned and kissed the top of her head gently. _

_"__I love you too, baby."_

What I wouldn't give to be able to go back to that time; to go back to where I knew we were happy and we'd always be together. Back to the time when I honestly didn't think striving to be chief would cause the one person I love so much pain; when I didn't realize just how much if me it would take away.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I don't own these characters.**

**A/N: I want to apologize for the wait on this one. Life got busy for me, then life got busy for my beta. Thanks for sticking with me though. **

**BPOV**

I grabbed my coffee from the barista and made my way over to the table where Alice and Rose sat. I called them early this morning and asked them to meet me here. They knew that Edward and I had broken up, but this would be the first time I had seen them since. I wasn't really ready for the pitying looks they would surely give me, but I knew I couldn't stay away from them forever.

Edward texted me last night and asked if it was okay if he came by to grab the rest of his things this morning. Since I locked myself in the bedroom the night he left, he was only able to take with him what I had carried into the living room. I agreed and told him that I would make sure I was out of the apartment for as long as he was there. If I knew Edward like I thought I did, he would get Jasper and Emmett to help him out which meant the perfect time for me to meet with Rose and Alice.

"Hey sweetie," Alice said, as she stood up and hugged me. "How are you?" Rose reached over and patted my hand as Alice and I took our seats.

"I'm doing okay, I guess, considering the circumstances," I told them before sipping my coffee. I stared down at the table and fiddled with the napkin, wanting to avoid the looks they were giving me.

"What happened? I mean, I know you guys broke up, but that was all that you told us over the phone. What exactly went down?" Rose asked. I finally looked up at my friends and saw that they weren't looking at me with pity. Rose actually looked a little angry.

"It's been bad for a while. He's been coming home late, forgetting things we had planned, making promises and breaking them. We started to grow apart. I never saw him. I was more alone in a relationship and that's just not what I want. I miss how we used to be. I just…I don't know. I don't want to sound like a bitch or unsupportive, but I don't think I'm cut out to be the girlfriend he needs with his schedule." I took a breath to hold my tears back because what I was going to say next was not something I wanted to think about. "He needs to be with someone who can handle being alone, someone who won't hold him back all the time and as much as I hate to say it, that someone is not me. I love Edward, but not the Edward who puts everything first and forgets he has someone at home." Rose and Alice just stared back at me.

"Yeah, but he's always been like that," Alice said. It was true. Edward had always gotten home late since starting at the hospital and I always had to keep reminding him about plans we'd made.

"I was just tired of the broken promises. He'd broken plans with me over and over and I finally got tired of it. He never put me first in his life. It was always his job. He never, ever put me first and I got fed up. I might have overreacted in the moment, but now that I look back at it I realize that I did the right thing. We both deserve better. He deserves a woman that won't hold him back or bitch at him about his job and I deserve someone who will put me first above anything else," I said, shrugging my shoulders.

"Maybe this break up was the best thing for both of you," Rose said and Alice nodded in agreement. "You guys did move a little quick in the beginning. I mean, you only dated for a few months before you moved in together. Emmett and I have been dating for years and only just recently moved in together."

"Yeah, but just because it's the best thing doesn't mean that it doesn't hurt," I said, my eyes filling with tears. Alice and Rose both stood up and slid their chairs over beside mine. The each put their arms around me and hugged me tightly.

"We'd been together for years. I was actually hoping he'd propose to me soon. How stupid is that? I was hoping for some grand proposal and he couldn't even leave work to have dinner with me," I cried. "I should hate him for the way he just threw our relationship away. He didn't even try to fight for us. I should hate him, but I still love him. I love him and I don't know if I'll ever stop." The tears were now falling freely and the more I sat there with my best friends the more things hurt. I had to leave, I didn't want to cry. I wanted the pain in my chest gone.

"I appreciate you guys coming out here, but I need to head out. I have a few things I need to do," I lied. I just wanted to be alone. Rose and Alice looked at each other with concern, but moved away from me and let me go on my way. I picked up my purse and gave them each a quick peck on the cheek, thanking them for being there and walked out of the café.

The fresh air was chilly to my tear stained cheeks, but it felt nice. I walked a few blocks just trying to gain my bearings and figure out what I was going to do next with my life. The sad part about my thoughts was that they all ended up back with Edward. I had a life before him, but the only memories I could seem to conjure up in my mind to try and take away the pain were memories of us. The one that stuck out the most was his excitement to be in the running for Chief Resident.

_"__Bella! Bella!" I heard Edward yell through the apartment just as he walked through the door. Not knowing exactly what was going on, I tossed my book on the bed and rushed to the living room to find out. He was tossing his things onto the couch as I stepped behind him. _

_Quickly turning around, he finally set eyes on me and pulled me into a searing kiss. After a few moments he pulled away allowing me to catch the breath he had suddenly taken away. _

_"__Not that I'm complaining, but what was that for?" I asked him once I could speak. He smiled widely at me and took my hands in his. _

_"__I did it, Bella. I actually did it," he spoke quietly, as if he were afraid that if he spoke too loudly it would no longer be true. _

_"__Did what, baby?" _

_"__I am officially on the short list of candidates for the position of Chief Resident at the hospital," he said, barely containing his excitement. I squealed and pulled him into a tight hug. _

_"__Oh Edward, I'm so proud of you. I knew you could do it," I spoke quietly into his ear as he caressed my back. He had been working so hard lately at the hospital and finally it had paid off. He deserved this so much. I just wished I could show him how proud of him I was. _

_I pulled away from him and gently pushed him down to sit on the couch. He wrinkled his brow as I slowly knelt before him. _

_"__What are you doing, baby?" he asked me. I smiled at him as I tugged at the elastic of his scrub bottoms. _

_"__I'm gonna show you just how proud I am of you Dr. Cullen."_

He was so excited that night and I was so proud of him. I woke up the next morning and found a note on his pillow saying that he had gone in to the hospital early and that he'd see me that night.

That's really where it all began. He didn't come home that night. He finally showed back up the next day.


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I don't own these characters. **

**A/N: I am so sorry for the wait on this one. Between real-life crap and myself and the kids starting back to school, life has been hectic. Thanks to all who are still with me. **

I was pathetic. It had been three months since Edward and I broke up. I avoided all the places we used to hang out at because I'm afraid we'll run into each other. I didn't know if I could handle that. I often found myself scrolling through the contacts on my phone and my thumb hovering over his name. I just wanted to hear his voice and make sure he was okay, but I promised both of us that I wouldn't call and make it worse. I couldn't bring myself to even delete his number from my phone.

I knew that I was the one that broke up with him, but that didn't mean that I still didn't love him. We'd been through a lot together and you couldn't just cut your feelings off and on. But I also knew that I was still pissed at him and if I saw him again I was afraid that I go running back to him and that wouldn't be good for either of us.

I'd even stopped hanging out with Rose and Alice so much. I knew that if they were there, Emmett and Jasper would be there, and more than likely Edward would be there too. If Edward wasn't there, I could picture him seeing the fact that Emmett and Jasper hung around with me as a betrayal to him and I didn't want to put anyone in that position. Rose and Alice called me constantly; asking me to hang out with them, but I always found some type of excuse.

Since I hadn't been hanging with Rose and Alice as much, I'd made a couple of new friends. Angela and Leah both worked at the newspaper with me and we'd gone out a few times. The very first time we went out turned out horribly for me and we stuck to sitting at home and ordering takeout and watching DVDs for a while.

_"Leah, are you sure this is a good place to go? It looks a little on the wild side," Angela said as we walked toward the entrance of the bar. _

_"It does look different from anywhere I've ever been," I said as I walked in behind Leah and Angela. They'd been trying to talk me into hanging out one Friday night after work and I'd finally agreed._

_"Oh stop it! This place isn't as bad as it looks. Trust me," she said as we followed her to the bar. It wasn't really that bad on the inside. There were quite a few people there, some sitting at the tables talking, some playing a game of pool on one of the two pool tables at the back of the room. _

_We all sat at the bar and ordered beers. Once we had our drinks, we all turned around and started looking over the people gathered. I watched the couple playing pool at one of the tables. The guy was trying to show the girl how to make a particular shot which she failed at miserably._

_Once the couple moved out of the way, my eyes caught the figure sitting at the table in the corner behind them. His wild hair stuck out in every direction as he tipped his head back and drunk his beer. His long fingers wrapped tightly around the neck of the bottle as he placed it back down on the table in front of him. From what I could tell he was alone, his eyes looking around the room at all the people. Before his eyes could catch mine, I spun back around and put my beer back on the bar. It was the first time I'd seen him since we broke up. I wasn't prepared._

_"I've gotta go," I mumbled, standing up and grabbing my coat and purse. Angela stood up and caught my arm._

_"What? Why? Where are you going?" she asked quickly. I just shook my head and made my way toward the door._

_"I can't stay. I'll talk to you guys later and explain everything," I told them before walking out. _

That Saturday night they came over to my apartment and I told them the whole sordid story of Edward and me. They'd understood why I ran out of the bar that night and understood why I wanted to avoid seeing him again so soon. I just wasn't ready for it.

But tonight, I was finally ready. It had been months and I knew that as long as Edward and I lived in the same city we would eventually run into each other. I couldn't hide out for the rest of my life. I needed to get back to my life and start doing something rather than sitting around and moping.

I planned to meet Angela and Leah at the bar down from my apartment. I was hopeful that Edward wasn't so crazy as to hang out at a bar right down from where I lived, but honestly, who knew. At least this time I was prepared.

I walked inside and immediately spotted them sitting at a table in the corner. I walked over and sat down, thankful that I wouldn't have to go through tonight alone. It was weird getting back out there after being in a relationship for so long.

"Hey! You look awesome!" Angela said as she pushed a drink toward me that she had already ordered.

"Thanks," I said before taking a sip of the fruity, girly drink. I was probably going to need a ton of these tonight.

"So, anyone catch your eye so far?" Leah asked. "I know you've only been here a minute or so, but sometimes you should go with your first instinct." I looked around the room and saw a lot of couples. Of course, the one night I was actually looking, the bar would be completely full of couples.

I saw a group of guys sitting at the bar drinking beers, but they seemed to be rather focused on the game playing on the television and were rather loud. As my eyes made their way down the bar, I caught site of a guy sitting alone at the end, facing my way. Our eyes locked and I blushed and looked down.

"What? Why are you blushing?" Angela asked and turned around to look at the bar. I just hoped the guy wasn't still looking this way.

"Oh my God, he's coming over," Leah whispered harshly to me. I looked up quickly and saw the guy from the bar headed toward our table.

"We're just gonna go to the bathroom," Leah said, dragging Angela with her. I caught hold of her arm, but she shook it off.

"You can't just leave me here," I gritted through my teeth. All she did was smile widely and continue walking off. When I turned back toward the bar, the guy was standing right next to the table. I jumped back a little, shocked at his closeness.

"Hi. I'm Riley," he said as he stuck his hand out for me to shake it. As I shook his hand, I looked into his eyes. He was really rather gorgeous. His hair was a sandy blonde color and was combed neatly. His eyes were a bright, shocking color of blue that I could get lost in.

"Bella," I replied. He smiled at me as I looked down toward my feet and blushed wildly.

"Do you mind if I take a seat?" he said, his head nodding toward one of the seats left vacant from my friends.

"Sure, go ahead," I said. He sat down and placed his beer down on the table in front of him.

The more we talked, the more I noticed that everything about Riley was completely different from Edward. Not just his hair and eyes, but his personality. The way he actually looked like he was paying attention to everything I said. Maybe different was exactly what I needed.

"So, Bella," he said, as Angela, Leah and I grabbed our things so we could leave. "I hope I'm not being too forward, but I was wondering if maybe you'd like to go out to dinner with me next Friday?"

Leah, nosey bitch that she was, elbowed me sharply and wiggled her eyebrows in exaggeration. I rolled my eyes, but smiled. The only reason I came out tonight was so that I could move on and stop moping around. Maybe Riley was exactly what I needed to stop doing that.


End file.
